What is Floortime all about anyway? This post (the first in a series) is about explaining what DIR/Floortime is, in ordinary parent language. How does this approach to autism intervention help us understand our kids better, and what strategies does it offer? I write this as a parent who has gone through training in our local program, taken one online […]
Read moreHere’s a big question: if all children learn best through play, why would our children with autism be any different? At the World Conference of Early Childhood and Education held in Moscow, Russian in 2010, the Council of Ministers of Education Canada (CMEC) published a statement (available here) on play-based learning. They underscored the enormous importance of purposeful play based […]
Read moreBooks and reading are important in our house. My husband and I are both readers, and we believe reading is an important foundation of learning at any age. When our children were born, we filled our bottom bookshelves with books for babies and toddlers, and got ready…but there was a glitch. Both of our children were very averse to letting […]
Read moreI want all parents to hear this: you are not alone in those feelings of being scared and anxious. Even ‘veteran’ parents who have been living with a diagnosis of autism for their child or children have days when they do not have it together. Don’t kid yourself, we all go through a “pity party” from time to time, and […]
Read moreIn the beginning, finding activities to do for Floortime is easy since it is the child who chooses the activity. You are then looking to keep engagement and open and close as many circles of communication. Following the child’s lead is really important especially while the child is becoming more self-regulated. When that time comes, as it has for my […]
Read moreWell, that doesn’t have quite the same ring to it as Floortime, but all the same, who wants to be indoors in the summer? Here is a list of activities I think might engage my children. My list doesn’t look much different than a list of activities for typical young children, but the difference is in the purpose. We won’t […]
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